


silver linings

by fruectose



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:02:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24248503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fruectose/pseuds/fruectose
Summary: Percy and Annabeth attend a funeral.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 13
Kudos: 149





	silver linings

“Funeral services freak me out.”

“Why?”

“What if the person, like... gets up in the middle of the service?” 

Percy looked over at his best friend and bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling. She wore a black dress that fell to her knees and one of those little hats with the nets that women sometimes liked to have on. Percy hated to think about it, especially at such an inappropriate moment, but she looked really cute. She wore black heels, _heels_! On Annabeth!, tall enough to cover their height difference and giving Percy a clear view of the faintest hints of makeup on her face. Excluding the fact her lashes were coated black and her brows were a dark brown, she looked pretty much the way she usually did. Her heels clacked softly against the pavement as house 217 came into view. She caught him looking at her and raised one darkened brow and Percy grinned. 

“What, you scared of a corpse?” He asked, nudging her shoulder gently. Not gently enough, it seemed, because Annabeth lost balance and clutched Percy’s arm to steady herself. Despite the fact that she was effectively cutting off circulation to his fingers, Percy kind of liked that she was leaning on him for support, even if she’d never say it out loud. Especially because she’d never say it out loud.

“You know, they can sit up sometimes.” She grumbled as Percy opened the gate to his old Aunt Barb’s little Rochester home and they walked up the cobble stone path. “If they’ve still got electric currents- their muscles can contract, way after death and they’ll sit up.”

“That’s just a fact you learned up so you can justify a baseless fear.” Percy told her. He slowly unwound his arm from her grip and slipped it around her waist. Annabeth relaxed back into him, letting him share the load and ease the strain on her heels. Her walking got infinitely more comfortable, and Percy patted himself on the back mentally.

“Maybe it is. What’re you going to do about it?” Annabeth asked as they reached the front door. There was a fair amount of activity on the other side. He could hear chatter- laughs and easy conversations. _Typical Barb_ , he thought. He reached out to knock on the door and paused, turning to face Annabeth.

“Okay, before we go in,” He started. Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

“I thought this was a somber occasion. Why are they laughing?”

“You’ll see when you meet them.” Percy promised. “But you have to understand this about the Blofis family- they hate me.”

“You? Why would they?” Annabeth said dramatically.

“No, Annabeth, this is serious. They _loathe_ me.” Annabeth frowned and searched his face. Under normal circumstances, it might have made him a bit nervous, but he felt calm now. He’d asked Annabeth if she wanted to come to the funeral with him just so she’d help make the entire ordeal a little less miserable, and for a moment, he allowed himself to not feel guilty about throwing her into shark infested waters. For one second, he allowed himself to be comforted by her presence. With her by his side, he truly couldn’t care less what the Blofises thought of him. She was his best friend. He could get through one afternoon.

“Why?” Annabeth asked again.

“I think it’s because I’m not one of them.” Percy said. “Not just by blood, but these guys are like,” he thought about it for a moment. “They’re like the Chases, except not as rich,” he said.

Annabeth scowled. She’d had a tough time growing up with her family, Percy had seen it first hand. She was forced to play the piano and do ballet lessons and could never join their friends on the weekends because her step mother, Aubrey, was teaching her about art and history and how to be ostentatious and terrible (‘ _charming young lady_ ’ her stepmother called it) like the rest of her family. She knew the sort all too well.

“So… they’re assholes.” She summarized. As if her dad would hear those words out of Annabeth’s mouth and she’d live to tell the tale. Percy nodded.

“Yep. More or less.” He shrugged. “And they really don’t like that I’m not. So… just don’t- if they’re harsh with you, it’s not personal it’s just by association,” he said apologetically. Annabeth snorted.

“What about Sally and Paul?” She asked. “They aren’t dickheads.”

“Yeah, but Paul’s one of them and Mom’s his wife, so… free pass. Sort of.”

Annabeth frowned like she wanted to argue but she met Percy’s eyes and must have heard his silent plea. _Just help me get through this_ , he begged silently. She sighed and dropped her hand, lacing her fingers through his.

“Fine. It’s only going to take about an hour or two,” She said and knocked on the door. 

“Perseus Jackson!” An elderly woman cried as the door swung open with great gusto. Aunt Barb looked ancient as ever: short and skinny, hunched over with the weight of the pearls around her neck. She wrapped her bony arms around him and she yanked him down towards her with the strength of an MMA fighter to give him a hug. A hug Percy would have gladly paid her to have not received, especially when he got a sudden and intense noseful of that Old Person smell that usually clung to Barb.

“Hi, Aunt Barb,” he said, slowly untangling himself from her. He stepped forward and closed the door behind him. “I’m so sorry about Uncle Joe, he was a… _unique_ man,” Percy said. Aunt Barb held his free hand and patted it while blinking up at him.

“You can drop the act, son, he made it very clear that he was not a fan of you.” She said mildly. Before Percy could respond, she looked over at Annabeth, noticing her for the first time. Her face lit up and her mouth spread into a big toothless and possibly evil smile. “And who is this beautiful woman you have on your arm?”

“This is Annabeth, she’s my, uh… a friend,” Percy said while looking at Annabeth, who looked a little confused but put on a large smile and held her hand out. “Annabeth, this is Paul’s Aunt Barbara.”

“I’m sorry we’re meeting under such unfortunate circumstances, Ma’am.” Annabeth said. “But it is lovely to meet you, Paul talks about you a lot.” Percy prayed Barb’s old ears didn’t hear him snort. He was pretty sure Annabeth hadn’t even registered her name when he introduced them.

“Oh, hush, dear.” Aunt Barb seemed tickled. Again, Annabeth exchanged an uncomfortable look with Percy who just shrugged in response. This part of his family was nuts and cruel, they just needed a moment to shed their skins. “Please call me Aunt Barb. You really are such a pretty thing.”

“Now that’s something she doesn’t hear often.” Percy supplied, if only to help Annabeth relax. Him teasing her was something she’d had eleven years to get used to, all the way since the day they’d met in the sixth grade. She shoved him lightly and rolled her eyes, but her smile was easier and her shoulders relaxed and it made all the difference in the world.

“Shut up, Jackson,” she said, as if she’d forgotten that she was still being studied under a microscope by Aunt Barb who was searching for any obvious flaws to pick on.

“That’s no way to speak to a woman like Annabeth, Percy!” Aunt Barb chided, apparently unable to pinpoint any weaknesses, Percy almost let out a sigh of relief. Aunt Barb could have been brutal but to the untrained eye, Annabeth was damn near impossible to read.

“Come in, come in,” she said. “We’re doing this a little unconventionally, Joe never was one for traditions,” she said mostly in Annabeth’s direction as she led them to the living room. Percy caught sight of his step-cousins, a couple of aunts and uncles, all pausing their conversations to watch him like an animal in the zoo. He even spotted his mom and her husband talking to one of Paul’s eight million cousins. She looked up and gave him a big smile that he just about returned before turning the corner with Barb.

The living room had an open casket. _Tasteful_ , Percy thought. Put your dead husband out on display while the party rages on around him, why not? Classic Barb. Annabeth opened her mouth and then shut it, trying to process what she was seeing. They walked right up to the coffin and Barb beamed down at the _corpse_ , as if she were introducing them to Paul’s uncle.

“So Annabeth, how did you and Percy meet?” She asked conversationally. Annabeth was still staring in horror at the very _dead_ Joe.

“Uh,” she said.

“We went to school together.” Percy supplied. “Annabeth joined in sixth grade, actually.”

Aunt Barbara set her gaze on Percy and he braced himself. She cocked her head to the side, a simple movement that felt an awful lot like a woman loading her gun and aiming it straight at Percy’s chest.

“Remind me again, was that before or after you got arrested, dear?” She asked.

“Before.” Percy offered. He refused to be offended by anything she had to say to him, after all it was nothing new, Barb loved talking about the misunderstanding. She looked at Annabeth, who was still watching Joe as if expecting him to sit up and offer her some tea.

“Has he told you about his little… run-in with the law, Annabeth?” She asked innocently. Annabeth blinked at Aunt Barb a fair few times, her brain obviously refusing to cooperate. Percy could practically see her putting together the meanings of the individual words she’d heard to make sense of them.

“This isn’t about the stupid stolen Camaro?” She asked finally, seeming to regain her ability to both understand and form sentences. Aunt Barb nodded sagely.

“Did you know? It was covered up quite well,” she said. “It was before Paul joined the family, you see. Percy and his mom, well they lived with this other man- lovely man that, Gabriel- who died tragically in a car accident. The last person seen in the car? Percy! Who stole it from the man who gave him a roof over his head and, who knows? He says he never played with the breaks, but…” she trailed off, letting Annabeth put two and two together.

Percy barely ever spoke about Gabe, and hearing his name and the word _lovely_ in the same sentence made his stomach churn. He didn’t realize he’d been clenching his hands, even the one with Annabeth’s hand in it. She pulled away from him and for a split second he choked up in panic. Was she going to accuse him of murdering his abusive ex-step dad and leave? But then she wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into him and Percy wished he could smack himself in the face, Annabeth already _knew_ all of this.

“That’s a stretch isn’t it, Aunt Barb?” She asked politely. Percy hoped she wouldn’t say too much. If he showed any sign of fighting back against these bullies all it would do was make them turn on his mom, calling her a bad mother and belittling her for her life before Paul. He couldn’t do that to her. “Can’t blame the stepson for a man driving drunk.”

Aunt Barb decided to drop it and switched to a different gear. The woman was erratic. “So what is it you do, Annabeth?”

“I’m an architect, Ma’am. Just graduated, actually.” Annabeth told her. Percy squeezed her to his side gently and her face lit up, like she still couldn’t believe she’d done it. As if anybody with half a brain cell would be surprised.

Aunt Barbara looked impressed and went on to ask Annabeth a ton of questions about the firm she was working at, and the projects she was interested in, and looked borderline in love with her by the end of the conversation. Percy had to bite back a smile. He found that his best friend tended to have that effect on people. She was tall and beautiful which made her impossibly intimidating to approach, but anyone brave enough to would be rewarded generously with the kindest, funniest and most interesting person they would ever meet. If she’d managed to charm Aunt Barb- who’d once told a three-year-old Estelle that she was too fat for piggy back rides- he figured the rest of his step-family would be cake walk.

After Aunt Barbara had finally excused herself, Annabeth frowned up at him. “She’s horrible.”

“Oh, no, that was her playing nice.” Percy told her. “She’s a lunatic, Mom and Paul think she might be, you know, _senile._ ” He lied and Annabeth saw right through him. She elbowed him in the gut.

“Hey, careful. I let go of you and you drop like the Titanic.” He warned.

“You overestimate how much I need you.” Annabeth told him. She looked in the direction Paul’s aunt had ambled off to. Percy could tell she was still uncomfortable. “I’d hate to see her on a bad day.”

“You might actually be one of the six people she’s ever been nice to, enjoy it.” Percy told her.

“Why do you put up with her?” Annabeth asked as Percy led them to their seats. “She thought I was your girlfriend and she tried to scare me away! By insinuating you’d _murdered_ a man! If Gabe really counts as human.” She added as an afterthought.

“Silver linings,” Percy said lightly. That he put up with any of these clowns in itself was the greatest act of love he’d ever perform. The two of them settled on seats along the yellow wall. “If you were my girlfriend she’d be doing me a huge favor by getting rid of you.”

“Hey.” Annabeth retorted weakly, preoccupied by something over Percy’s shoulder. “Someone else is coming this way.”

“Hey, Percy.” A manicured hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up to see Diane smiling down at him. Great, he thought, save the worst for the first.

“Hi, Diane.” He gave Paul’s sister a strained smile. “Sorry about Uncle Joe.”

Diane nodded, blinking her large eyes at him woefully. “This is what he’d have wanted,” she said, gesturing around to the party raging around them. Percy noticed that Diane was the only person sporting lime green rather than black, and wondered if she’d chosen to do that specifically to draw attention to herself. He didn’t know how Paul had come from such a messed-up family, but days with them always made Percy appreciate his step dad just a little more.

“I’m sure.” He lied. 

Percy had never seen Uncle Joe so much as smile, and doubted very much that a _celebration_ was what he’d asked for in his final will. It was more on brand for a man like him to request everybody grieve him for the rest of their lives instead and die a miserable death. Diane sipped her store-brand bubbly, (Percy could bet it wasn’t champagne, as if _any_ of them would splurge like that), and gestured vaguely in Annabeth’s direction, her lips curving unpleasantly as if she’d just sniffed a skunk.

“And this is?” She asked, looking Annabeth up and down.

“Annabeth Chase,” she said easily, holding out her hand. “I’m Percy’s friend.”

“Interesting,” Diane said, obviously unimpressed and not bothering to introduce herself. “You know my boys and I always wondered if Percy had any.” She glanced once more at Percy. “Friends, I mean.”

Annabeth frowned and opened her mouth, and Percy touched her knee. She sunk back into her chair again, obviously not happy about it.

“He’s such a strange boy.” Diane continued, oblivious as always to the tension around her. “My uncle, my poor uncle, always saw him for what he was: a delinquent. Just, not right in the head,” she said. “And now he’s gone.” She clutched her chest as if she wasn’t obviously trying to garner sympathy from anybody who saw her. “So soon. We never saw it coming.”

“He was ninety-five years old.” Percy pointed out. “And he smoked like a chimney, _and_ he was asthmatic.”

“Don’t speak of Uncle Joe like that!” Diane cried. She glared at him with icy blue eyes and Percy might have been intimidated if he had any respect at all fo her. “He was a good man.”

“Sure he was, Diane.” Percy agreed, deciding there was no point making the day harder than it already was.

“I can’t believe you came.” She told him. “He really didn’t like you, Percy.”

“Neither do you, Diane,” Percy said amicably. “And I hope to make it to your funeral as well.”

Diane narrowed her eyes at him. “You insolent brat,” she said in a low voice. “I wouldn’t be so confident if I were you. You have brought this family nothing but shame since my brother married your mother. If Paul had had a chance to raise you… it’s not his fault, you know? He isn’t responsible for how you turned out.”

“You’re right, it’s my own fault.” Percy leaned back in his chair and slung his arm around the back of Annabeth’s. She stayed quiet, watching the exchange between them. Diane was going to go off some more when somebody called for her, she held up a finger as if she were going to launch into a lecture and then dropped it before marching off.

“ _Percy_ ,” Annabeth said.

“It’s like the penguins from Madagascar.” Percy told her. “Smile and wave.”

“You can’t just let her speak to you like that!” Annabeth huffed. “That’s so stupid. She can’t talk to anyone like that, _least_ of all you! I can’t bear it.”

Percy looked over at her and raised a brow, Annabeth’s cheeks turned bright pink and she averted her gaze. Percy had to take a moment to bite back his smile.

“Least of all _me_ , huh?” He asked. Annabeth glared at his knee.

“I didn’t mean- you’re so irritatings” she mumbled at him. Percy nudged her shoulder.

“What, do you like, _like_ me, Chase?” He smiled at her. “You like me, you like me. You wanna _kiss_ me.” He sang in her ear and she pushed him off of her.

“Shut up,” she said. “I was- you know what? I take it back. You deserve to be treated the way Diane does, like filth under her shoe.”

“Aw, come on now.” Percy laughed. “Anyway, you really don’t have to be tied down here with me, you know? You can just do that thing you do with your pretentious family. Throw around some French or whatever, critique Leo da Vinci... you know.” He gestured vaguely. “Do that stuff, they’ll adore you.”

“I don’t care what they think of me.” Annabeth told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Yeah, that holds true for you with anyone. But if you do that, they might think I’m the slightest bit better off because I have a clever friend.”

Annabeth narrowed her eyes and when she spoke, she dropped her voice in a terrible imitation of her father. “Come now, Annabeth. Where’s that Chase charm of yours?”

Percy bursted out laughing. Annabeth’s parents were both difficult, to say the least. Dr. Chase had been born into a rich family, like New England _old_ money rich, and was a history professor at Harvard, making him doubly pompous. His wife, also a _Dr._ Chase, was from a really famous, rich family in Singapore and was one of the most sought-after defense attorneys in the state. And as if that wasn’t enough, Annabeth’s birth mom was a senator. Her whole life had been filled with people just a little bit more unbearable than the last, and she and Percy had made a game out of seeing who could trick these truly terrible people into liking them better. They called it Chase charming, and the memory filled Percy’s heart with a warm ache for his childhood.

“Is that what you want, Percy?” Annabeth continued with a juvenile, toothy grin. Her eyes sparkled at the thought of a game. “You want me to Chase charm our way through this?”

“Would you do that for me?” Percy asked and Annabeth rolled her eyes.

“Obviously,” she said.

“So let me get this straight. You’d compromise everything you stand for and succumb to being a boring, overly cultured, if there were such a thing, ostentatious narcissist for me?” Percy repeated.

“Yes, god, you’re so weird.”

“I’m just double-checking,” Percy said. “Because I think that means that you _like_ me.” He sang, dropping his voice to a whisper and earning a punch in the arm.

“I hate you.” Annabeth told him matter-of-factly. “But it _is_ kind of fun to get people to debate War and Peace and then end the conversation with how discussing Tolstoy is very much like beating a dead horse.”

“I love you.” The words fell out before Percy could even think them.

Fuck. _Fuck_ , fuck, fuck, fuck, _FUCK_. He could not believe he said that. In the eleven years of knowing Annabeth, even through moments when he really was overwhelmed with emotion, he had never told her he loved her. Why the _fuck_ had he done that now? He wished he had a hammer so he could whack his brains to pulp. Annabeth was just being Annabeth, what had changed? Why had his stupid mouth decided that would be a good time to say it? Was it his dead step-great-uncle’s body lying a mere meter away that made him want to confess? If he’d ever imagined this moment, he’d expected to do something huge, like running after her or crashing her wedding to the wrong man. Blurting it out at the funeral of a ninety-something man who hated him was both intensely anticlimactic and far more humiliating than making a scene in public.

Coming to the more pressing matter at hand, what was he supposed to do now? What was Annabeth thinking? His heart was slamming so hard against his ribs it hurt, and blood rushed to his face. He couldn’t hear past his own quickening pulse and could barely see through the panic. Was Annabeth angry? How long had it been? Why was she not saying anything? Oh god, had she already said something and did Percy not hear because he was losing his damn mind? It had actually _happened_. Percy wished he could take the words back but also wanted nothing more than to scream it from the rooftops. He finally blinked and Annabeth came back into focus.

Her expression was relaxed, happy, not unlike it had been before he ran his stupid mouth. Annabeth shrugged.

“I know you do. Come on, we’ve got people to cajole,” she said and it occurred to Percy that absolutely no time had passed during his semi-mental breakdown and he had, in fact, gone through the entire spectrum of human emotion over the course of a second. His head spun as he got to his feet.

He followed her through the room, introducing her to Paul’s million aunts and uncles and their children and their children. Annabeth was great, she had on the fakest smile he’d ever seen and somehow, she made it work. After a conversation with Diane where Percy ‘accidentally’ let slip that Annabeth’s family was, in fact, upper class even his horrific step-aunt warmed up to her.

Percy tried not to think too much about what he’d said, maybe Annabeth ignoring him was a good thing. He’d royally screwed up and she, obviously, didn’t feel the same way. He must have misread the signs, and you know what? That’s okay. It was fine. She was probably just trying not to embarrass him.

He was distracted from his thoughts by a heavy hand that clapped him on the back, almost sending him flying forward. He looked over to see a beefy guy grinning stupidly at him.

“Hey, Derek,” je said as his step-cousin gave him a rough man-hug.

“If it isn’t Prissy Jerkson!” Derek grinned. “How have you been, man? Can’t believe you took the time out of your busy life in the city to come see us, measly village folk.”

Percy managed a smile. It was almost as if every single person here had their own, unique way of trying to get under his skin.

“Annabeth, this is Derek. He’s, uh, he’s Adam’s son. Paul’s nephew,” Percy said. “Derek, this is Annabeth.”

“Oh, wow,” Derek said, obviously ogling Percy’s best friend. Annabeth didn’t look amused. “How did a wimp like you score a chick like-” Miraculously, he caught himself. “Nice to meet you, Annabelle.”

“Annabeth.” Percy corrected. He glanced over at Annabeth who was still watching Derek, her lips turned downwards and her eyes slightly narrowed. She’d promised to keep up pretenses for Percy’s sake, but he couldn’t stand if his step-family was actively hurting her. He glared at Derek. 

“Yeah, cool,” Derek said. “So, how’d he do it?” He asked Annabeth.

“Do what?” Annabeth asked, her voice getting slightly defensive.

“Ask you out. Was it a bribe?”

“We’re friends.” Annabeth told him. Derek snorted.

“So they’re just giving out funeral plus-ones to _friends_ now, are they?” He mocked. “It’s a good thing Percy’s only got one, right?” He guffawed with Annabeth as if they were sharing some inside joke. She didn’t look impressed.

“You've been keeping well, man?” Percy asked, anxious to get his creepy gaze off of Annabeth, who was looking closer and closer to socking him in the jaw.

“Sure, sure,” Derek said. “Can’t complain. Old Joe’s left me some of his bank, so you know, I was thinking maybe take a trip out west,” he said. “Never been to Cali.” He looked back at Annabeth and smiled. “I hear they’ve got girls like you in the hundreds. Relax, you’re not that special.” He told her.

“Lay off of her.” Percy snapped. Derek raised his brows and looked between them.

“Now, Percy,” he mocked. “Calm down, don’t want to make a scene at Joe’s funeral service. Barb would definitely cut you out of her will if you did.”

Percy sighed. “As if I’m supposed to believe I’m even on there.”

“Where’s Sally and Uncle Paul?” Derek asked, seemingly bored of flaunting his newfound fortune. “Haven’t seen them all day.”

“I’m sure they’re around,” Percy said. “Look harder, it’s not that big a house.”

Derek studied Percy for a while through narrowed eyes. “I don’t know what it is about you, Jackson. You’re just so… difficult to like.”

“So I’ve heard.” Percy agreed.

“I have to assume you’re stupid like Percy.” Derek said kindly to Annabeth. “Or just nuts, I don’t know and frankly, I don’t care to find out. Anyway, I’ll see you around, loser.” Derek said.

Annabeth watched after him. “Remember how you shoved Nancy Bobofit into the water fountain because she threw peanut butter at Grover?” She asked.

“It was peanut butter and _ketchup_ , that’s what made it so much more offensive.” Percy told her, making a face at the memory.

“So tell me why,” Annabeth started slowly. Percy looked at her. “Why do you stand up to bullies when it comes to everyone but yourself? You hate nasty people more than anything in the world.”

Percy sighed. “Exactly.” He admitted. Annabeth blinked.

“For as long as they’re nasty to me, they’re okay with Paul and my mom, you know?” he said. Annabeth’s features softened and Percy fought the overwhelming urge to do something stupid and romantic, like take her hands in his or tuck her hair behind her ear. “They don’t like that my mom had a son before she married Paul. They’re weird, like that.” He told her. “And for like seven years, I’ve been bearing the brunt of it. If they hate me, they’ll lay off my mom.”

“You’re so noble sometimes you drive me insane.” Annabeth told him, but he could tell she was about to drop the subject. She knew better than anyone how much his mom meant to Percy.

Percy caught sight of his mom and Paul speaking to Aunt Barb and his mom met his eye. She flashed him a big smile and waved and Percy returned it, and suddenly everything felt worth it.

“Come on. We’ve only got through half your family,” Annabeth said, grumbling about how big the Blofis clan was.

Thirty minutes later, Percy was pretty sure the entire party was obsessed with Annabeth. He didn’t understand how she did it, but Steven, Ester and Michael (none of whom had ever said one nice thing to him) had each separately come up to Percy and told him they loved his friend. That made the four of them, Percy thought sullenly. Four of them that she most decisively did _not_ love back.

“Oh, Annabeth, over here.” Aunt Barb called. Annabeth and Percy walked over to where she was talking to Derek and Diane. “Diane was just telling me that you’re interested in art history.” She beamed, _beamed_! Aunt Barbara! It was so disorienting Percy worried he was having a stroke. He grabbed Annabeth’s hand, and she calmly laced her fingers through his as she talked about her favorite art period.

“Incredible, isn’t it?” Aunt Barbara asked. “You must tell me how you and Percy became friends.”

“Yeah, think we’d all like to know.” Derek snorted. “You’re like, obviously too good for him. I mean, you see that, right?”

“I don’t think I understand what you mean.” Annabeth said, playing dumb. “Why would I be too good for him?”

“I know that at your age, all you care about is what he looks like, dear,” Aunt Barb said, as if she were genuinely concerned about Annabeth. “But those will fade. This young man- Percy,” she said, as if she’d forgotten his name for a moment. She met his eye. “Honey you never even went to college, you have little to offer to a woman like Annabeth.” 

She smiled knowingly at Percy and her words hung in the air, Percy looked down at his shoes and tried to count to ten. The worst part was, he was pretty sure Aunt Barbara was right. He wasn’t dating Annabeth, but she wasn’t wrong. Annabeth went to college, she was born into a rich family, and was obviously destined to have a good life- one that Percy could contribute little to. It made sense that she didn’t love him back. How could she?

“I’m not trying to hurt anyone, dear.” Aunt Barbara continued. “I just mean what do you two have in common? What is it you could _possibly_ enjoy doing together?”

Percy looked up just in time to see Annabeth set her jaw, and time slowed down. Maybe he should have told her to drop it, maybe he could have interfered himself- but he didn’t want to. He saw it, clear as day in the defiant look in Annabeth’s eye and felt it in the light squeeze she gave his hand before letting go, she was _totally_ about to say it back. Don’t ask him how he knew- something about the way her shoulders were set or the softness in the way she’d touched him. She was about to declare her love for him in some loud, romantic gesture, he could feel it in his bones-

“Sex.” She announced. Loud enough that people looked over at them.

 _What_?

Even Aunt Barb looked a little confused. Annabeth didn’t waver. “We have mind-blowing, earth-shattering sex, Barb.” She elaborated.

Diane looked pale, even Derek was shell-shocked and Aunt Barbara’s mouth hung open. If Percy wasn’t a little preoccupied about Annabeth’s bold and unfounded declaration, he might have found it comical. Later on he might realize he wasn’t any more composed than the rest of them.

“That’s what we have going for us right now, Barb,” Annabeth said dramatically. “Percy’s dick. It’s huge and thick and god, it just feels so _good_.” She continued, voice steadily growing louder and attracting more attention. “He’s like one of those rare men who’s rough but also gentle, you know what I mean? Like he really gives it to you, long and hard, but never so much that it hurts- well, not for long, at least.” She paused, as if thinking about it. “Anyway. He’s incredible, when he’s inside me I swear I can feel my internal organs move and when we’re done, I can’t walk normal for days. _Days_ , Barbie. I know it’s stupid, but we’re young! And so, _so_ stupid. Well, me more than Percy, he’s actually very clever. But that’s not the point. What I’m saying is… I’m getting the best dick of my life. That’s what we have in common. I’m obsessed with his penis and he adores my vagina, and we never want to let go. You were young, at some point, Aunt Barbara.” Annabeth said without a hint of embarrassment while Percy thought he was going to die of it. She was being unnecessarily descriptive and they’d never even shared so much as a _kiss_! 

Annabeth squinted at his great aunt before continuing with her speech. “A really, really long time ago, sure, but you were. Don’t tell me you married that old clown,” She gestured to the photo of Joe that hung on the wall. “Because of his looks. A woman has needs! And god, does Percy deliver. So tell me, Barb, Diane, even you, Derek, what would you have done for the best sex of your life? Because I’ve dealt with being fully creeped on,” she gestured to Derek. “And talked down to,” she waved in Diane’s direction, “and then got questioned about my choices in partners, when really, it’s none of your business! I did it because Percy Jackson,” She took his hand and held it up like he’d just won a race. “Lasts for _ages_ , and he makes me orgasm like nobody else ever has. He’s a considerate partner and a fantastic lover, and quite frankly, I really hate the way you talk about him.”

Later on Percy would thank the lord that Annabeth didn’t give Aunt Barbara a heart attack. Her expression was a hysterical mixture of horror, disbelief and betrayal. Percy did the smart thing and stayed quiet. He noticed Annabeth had stepped slightly forward so she sood with her back against his chest and firmly separating him from his family protectively.

“I have never- young lady, that language-” Aunt Barbara struggled to find the words but apparently her audience with Annabeth was over.

“You’re right, this is behavior you’d have expected from Percy, but he’d never speak to you like that.” Annabeth told her. “Because he’s kinder and a far better person than I am. He doesn’t deserve to have all of you talking down at him, all of you here together don’t make up half the man he is. Percy is better than you’ll ever be. He’s… got the best heart and he’s so smart and he’s the kindest, most patient-” Her voice cracked and Percy figured it was time to make a speedy exit before she ruined her own totally badass moment by crying.

“Right, that’s our cue to leave, I guess.” He decided, shooting an apologetic look at his mom and Paul who were watching the entire scene unfold with their mouths hanging open.

Annabeth started rambling some more and Percy wrapped one arm around her waist and all but dragged her away, with her still crying over his shoulder, “Insult Percy again and you’ll have me to deal with!”

Percy only stopped marching when they reached their parking spot. His heart was hammering against his ribs almost painfully. He turned around and leaned against the trunk of his car, one million things he wanted to say and his mouth chose the worst possible one to blurt.

“I told you to go easy on them!” He cried. Annabeth threw arms up and let them fall to her sides.

“Percy, they’re _horrible_.” She said indignantly. “They’re truly terrible and you don’t have to deal with it.”

“It wasn’t your choice to make, though!” he told her.

“Look, I know I shouldn’t have gotten involved, but Sally and Paul will deal with it. Stop taking on everyone’s problems, you did your part for them, for _seven_ years!” She cried out, he realized she had tears in her eyes and he felt an uncomfortable tug in his heart. Her voice dropped. “This isn’t even about Sally and Paul, these people validate all your worst thoughts and you feel like you deserve that punishment. You’re wrong. You deserve to be happy. Yet you let them put you down, constantly.”

“I don’t care what these people think of me.”

“You did, though,” Annabeth said gently. “When your stupid great aunt said-” She was kind enough to not repeat it, but she must have noticed something in him. There was no lying to her. Percy refused to meet her eye.

“That was different,” Percy said. _That was true_. 

Annabeth looked defeated. “What more do you want from me?”

He knew he was being a little unfair to her. She’d hit a dead end with him. He held his arms out and she stepped in, letting him circle her in a loose hug. She curled her fingers into his hair and Percy looked up at her. One look into her eyes and he knew- Percy had been right, for some stupid reason, Annabeth _had_ just told him she loved him. Well, not so much told him as hollered over his shoulder like a woman unhinged, and not so much the words _I love you_ as _the_ _best dick she’d had_ , but Percy understood the sentiment.

“Do you actually?” He asked her quietly. She was on the same page as him. She usually was.

“What, it’s so hard to believe?” She asked, giving him a watery smile.

“You have a weird way of showing it, Chase.” Percy laughed softly, leaning forward until his forehead rested against her. “Am I supposed to kiss you or something?”

“You are so irritating.” Annabeth said, closing the gap between their lips and kissing him, softly, sweetly. He didn’t know how long they stood like that, but he knew in that moment that he would never get used to the feeling.

“I want to say it to you again,” he said. “Properly, and you don’t have to say it just yet.”

“Okay,” Annabeth said.

“I love you.” Percy told her. “I love you in a romantic way and like a best friend and I love you like- like I want to kiss you.” He sang softly and Annabeth’s smile made his heart ache.

“I think I knew that for a while,” Annabeth said, refusing to acknowledge the tears dripping down her face. Laughter bubbled in Percy’s stomach.

“You nearly killed Paul’s aunt, you know?” he said. “And simultaneously you’ve set some unreal expectations for me now. Best dick of your life is... _a lot_.”

Annabeth laughed and played with his tie. “I love you too,” she said quietly.

“Oh, Annabeth, you don’t have to say that. I know how-”

“I do,” Annabeth said, meeting his eye. “I love you, like a whole load. Enough that I can love you every single day until you start to accept it.”

Percy felt his throat close up. He leaned his forehead against hers.

“Thank you,” he said. “For that, and for not killing Paul’s aunt.”

Annabeth pouted, although Percy didn’t think she was aware of it. “She was just so horrible to you! It felt wrong. I thought if I could maybe scandalize her, just a little, the balance would be restored.”

“You don’t have to explain it to me,” Percy said, pressing a quick kiss on her lips. He could do that now, he’d be damned if he let any opportunity slide. “Maybe to Mom and Paul, but like you said, they’ll deal with it.” He kissed her again. God, he could do that now.

“I can’t believe I screamed at your geriatric aunt,” Annabeth said, burying her face in his shoulder. “About your penis. At her husband’s _funeral_. I’m a terrible person.”

“Maybe next time we won’t be invited.” Percy told her. “Silver linings, right?”

“Silver linings.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much to Mari for checking this for me!! (@percyyoulittleshit) x  
> p.s. u can chat to me on Tumblr if you'd like @perceabeth xo


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